The media are like vultures around short-stacked, big-name pros, and there was a crowd of them hovering around Amsterdam Master Classics winner Kristoffer Thorsson's table. We didn't have to wait long, as he soon pushed his last last 24,300 into the middle from early position. Mikhail Lakhitov in the small blind gave it some serious thought but ultimately folded. The big blind folded too Thorsson moved up to the heady heights of 30,000 - the Day 1 starting stack, currently around 12 and a half big blinds.
So Thorsson shoved again the very next hand and this time Lakhitov made the call.
Thorsson:
Lakhitov:
Board:
"Nice hand, good luck," said the affable Thorsson, and he was gone.
Blind on blind, Milous Artjoms and Ludovit Fischer looked ready to build a big pot, but it went no further than the flop. Artjoms raised to 5,300 when it folded to him in the small blind, and Fischer raised to 15,000, immediately adopting 'The Hellmuth' position (totally still, fists over mouth, black sunglasses). Artjoms thought for over two minutes, had the clock called on him, and immediately called.
Artjoms check-folded the rainbow flop quickly, and was shown . He looked relieved.
Michael Keiner, having displayed excellent grinding skills so far today, got his final ~35,000 in with a good shot at a double through. There was a circle of media around the table which as one murmured, "Oooh," which alerted everyone else to the fact of an outdraw taking place.
Sure enough, Emilliano Bono with had outdrawn Keiner's on a board.
Dominik Nitsche sits proudly behind a 230,000 stack of chips after check-raising Jonas Gutteck off his hand on the flop.
Nitsche raised preflop and was called by Gutteck in the cutoff seat. The dealer put out the flop, and Nitsche tapped the table and looked very uninterested. He soon perked up though when Gutteck put out a bet of 8,100. After asking how many chips he had behind, Nitsche paused for a few moments before check-raising to 33,000.
Without too much thought, Gutteck mucked his hand, jokingly asking, "Bottom set no good?" prompting a wry smile from his opponent.
Nitsche climbs to 230,000 whilst Gutteck falls to 170,000
Luca Pagano opened to around 6,000 under the gun and it folded all the way around to Antoine Saout in the big blind, who re-popped to 15,300. After a few moments' thought, Pagano called.
Both players checked the flop and they saw a turn for free. Saout tanked up long enough for the dealer to appear as though his soul had left his body, before betting out 11,600. Over to Pagano, who tanked for even longer but eventually gave it up.
Saout increased his stack to 100,000, announcing, "The nuts," and flashing his table a rare smile. Pagano dipped to 95,000.
The last elimination of the last level saw Josh Prager point out the fault of the buster even as he saw his had been crushed by the turn and he was not going to make it to level 13. The Unnamed Player, who'd pocketed his ID card and walked off (understandably) when eliminated, had checked a flop, which turned out to be disastrous for him - his sole opponent Prager turned a straight with the and bet 16k, calling immediately when Unnamed Player moved all in. Prager showed and proceeded to gloat.
"Drawing dead! It's so nice... drawing dead to the river. You shouldn't have checked!" He was now addressing a retreating back so he turned his attention to the remaining players at the table, none of whom actually said anything.
"He shouldn't have checked that flop. I thought he might turn up something nice like jack-queen. You don't play like Rafa You ask, Rafa say you played it badly.*"
*Unclear exactly what was going on here, that's just what it sounded like.
Probably coincidentally, tablemate Jeffrey Hakim piped up suddenly, addressing the floor man: "You breaking the table now?" Indeed he was.
They say in order to win poker tournaments you need a bit of luck, well if that is the case pile your money on Mikhail Shakhnovich as he has just had a huge slice of luck.
The action folded around to him in the cutoff and he moved all in for 49,600, yes that's right 25 big blinds. Marvin Rettemaier, on the button, looked like he wanted to call but couldn't pull the trigger immediately, but eventually did call. Usually that would be the end of the action but Johan Berg in the small blind called off his remaining 35,000 or so chip and it was a three way all in, with Rettemaier covering both players.
Berg:
Rettemaier:
Shakhnovich:
The dealer tapped the table, burned a card and dealt the flop.
Flop: - BOOM! Shakhnovich hits gin as he goes from having 11% equity to being a 75% favourite.
Turn: - Both Berg and Rettemaier are drawing extremely thinly
River: - No full house for anyone so Shakhnovich almost triples up, Berg busts and Rettemaier is crippled. What a hand!
button in Safari
flop. Artjoms raised to 5,300 when it folded to him in the small blind, and Fischer raised to 15,000, immediately adopting 'The Hellmuth' position (totally still, fists over mouth, black sunglasses). Artjoms thought for over two minutes, had the clock called on him, and immediately called.
. He looked relieved.
had outdrawn Keiner's 
on a 
board.
flop, and Nitsche tapped the table and looked very uninterested. He soon perked up though when Gutteck put out a bet of 8,100. After asking how many chips he had behind, Nitsche paused for a few moments before check-raising to 33,000.
flop and they saw a 
flop, which turned out to be disastrous for him - his sole opponent Prager turned a straight with the 
and proceeded to gloat.
- BOOM! Shakhnovich hits gin as he goes from having 11% equity to being a 75% favourite.
- Both Berg and Rettemaier are drawing extremely thinly
